Recriação Histórica da Batalha do Bussaco

Nos passados dias 25 e 26 do corrente mês de Setembro e pela primeira vez em cerca de 200 anos, o moinho de Sula, situado perto da cumeeira da Serra do Bussaco, testemunhou a passagem de grossas colunas de soldados Portugueses, Ingleses e Franceses (e Espanhóis...) que para lá convergiram com vista a realizarem mais uma encarniçada e violenta batalha campal.

O estampido dos mosquetes e o troar dos canhões foi audível, uma vez mais, por toda a Serra.

Para a cumeeira da Serra do Bussaco convergiu ainda uma vaga imensa de população, vizinha e não só, para testemunhar este fantástico evento e apoiar o esforço dos combatentes do Exército Luso-Inglês e ... do Exercito Imperial Francês, porquanto, como é óbvio, entre todos os participantes reinou o mais perfeito e pacífico convívio, que permitiu a todos desfrutarem desta importante comemoração, além de proporcionarem ao público assistente um evento magnifico.

E desta vez até o nosso amigo João Peixoto pegou em armas para defesa da Pátria! É verdade, meus amigos, o Peixoto vestiu uma farda do Batalhão de Caçadores nº 6, empunhou a uma carabina Baker e dedicou-se a apontá-la (sem nunca acertar...) aos milhares (na imaginação dele...) de soldados Franceses que subiam a Serra. Aliás, a certa altura pareceu-me que o Peixoto vinha a subir a Serra à frente dos Franceses, a grande velocidade, mas deve ter sido apenas uma ilusão de óptica. Ouvi também dizer que o Peixoto nunca mais se atrevia a meter noutra igual, por a carabina Baker se ter revelado muito mais pesada do que o seu pincel de modelista, mas deve ter sido apenas um rumor...

E foi desta maneira que ficou assinalado este importante episódio da nossa História nacional, em termos de recriação histórica. Os esforços de várias entidades públicas e privadas convergiram no  objectivo de despertar nos nossos concidadãos, designadamente nas camadas mais jovens, um renovado interesse pelo nosso património histórico-militar e alertar para a necessidade de preservação do mesmo. É este também o objectivo principal de todos quantos se dedicam, nos seus tempos livres, a esta actividade.

É também devido um reconhecimento especial ao Município da Mealhada, aos seus funcionários, bem como aos elementos das forças de segurança presentes (Guarda Nacional Republicana) e demais colaboradores no evento, pelo interesse e dedicação colocados na realização do mesmo, com vista a que este corresse o melhor possível, como efectivamente sucedeu.

Os nossos camaradas e amigos de outras Nações manifestaram repetidamente o apreço que, uma vez mais, tinham em participar num evento em Portugal, não só pelo acolhimento que lhes era dispensado, como pelas qualidades organizativas demonstradas. É de realçar que houve elementos que fizeram deslocações, em autocarro, com a duração de cerca de 24 horas. Os nossos amigos das Astúrias tinham, por exemplo, uma viagem de regresso a casa com a duração de 9 horas!

Um bem haja a todos vós pela vossa presença e participação!

Aqui ficam algumas fotos e vídeos do evento, onde, além do mais, é possível visualizar a fuga, digo, a retirada do Peixoto.

slide show:

http://sic.sapo.pt/online/noticias/pais/slideshows/20100927_Batalha+do+Bucaco.htm

video RTP (minuto 12.40):

http://tv1.rtp.pt/multimedia/progVideo.php?tvprog=19455&idpod=45145&partes=1

mais videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh6uo8FQm3s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMIvJfACQgI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAXHBw7GcHw

PC

A minha "pequena" colecção em 1/144

Olá amigos

Deu-me na cabeça de passar 2 horas a colocar toda a minha colecção de modelos em 1/144 como numa parada, todos alinhados.

Só faltaram os modelos em "WIP", alguns na bancada com primário, outros meio pintados, etc.

Regalem e os olhos e consolem a vistinha, boa visita.

Já agora onde está o "Wally"?

Uma vista geral das tropas em parada na minha mesa da sala de jantar ( a minha mulher já está a revirar os olhos). 

 As tropas Germânicas

Mais Jerrys

 E ainda mais alguns Krauts

 E mais outros

 Os frontoviks da WGS e da Pendraken (qual a diferença, alguém descobre?)

 Os Brits- à direita os Paras da WGS.

Novamente os Paras Britânicos

 Cavalaria alemã da Minifigs e loga atrás os fallshimjager da WGS

 Os "Americas" e os seus Shermans

 E para terminar mais Krauts.

Espero que gostem
JF

Character Series nº 5 - James R. McDonough

(Part I)

Those of you that bothered (or were able…) to read the comment box in my the last post noticed that JMM was fortunate enough to guess the name of the present Character, in this (it is never too much to mention) wonderful Series.

Well, the truth is that I chose an easy enough Character this time, to give him a chance to guess it's name, since this guy is always whining about never being able to get it right.

By the way JMM: your guess was not entirely correct. You did not mention what the initial “R” stands for. Therefore, you are not entitled to win any prize. I am sorry about that, but those are the rules. And by the way, this particular set of rules is liable to be changed at any time, without previous notice.

I think Mr. McDonough is still around us and hopefully in good health. Maybe he would be so kind as to inform us what the initial “R” stands for, since I was not able to find out about that myself, in the extensive research I made for this extraordinary post. If he is not interested in doing that, maybe he would be so kind as not to sue us for any damage we are liable to do to the reputation of his fine book.

The fact is that James R. McDonough (from now on referred to as JM) wrote a very fine book regarding his experiences in the Vietnam War, entitled “Platoon Leader”. I came across this title while browsing the Officer’s professional Reading Guide (USMA, 1998, page 47). By the way, if any of you knows of a more recent edition for this guide, I would very much appreciate an indication about where to find it.

This is one of the books in my very modest war history collection that I simply have to read once in a while. And the main reason for that is because JM tells his story how he lived it, with a sincere and clear speech, allowing the reader a look at the (conflicting) emotions and at the reasons behind the, sometimes, extreme decisions that the leader of a platoon in a hot area in Vietnam was liable to face. The action takes place in the village of Truong Lam, Tam Quon district, Binh Dinh province.

JM arrived there in the summer of 1970. By that time this war was not very popular in the USA, for several reasons which I consider myself too lazy to explain here – you just have to trust my word on that.

Everybody loves a winner, and when a clear cut victory is not in perspective, the so-called blame game begins, regarding any human endeavour, most of all in war. Then (as now…) any soldier that gets himself involved in a war that reaches that state of affairs should not expect a lot in the way of public or private recognition for doing his job.

Therefore, the question arises: why would a guy even consider volunteering to such a situation when, on top of all, his own life would be at risk? I think JM gives us some credible clues on that matter, which enables the reader to take his own conclusions.

This book is also outstanding in another aspect, that for me is more relevant: it allows a guy (such as yours truly…), that does not know the first thing about modern combat, a glimpse of what a leader has to do to induce a group of foot soldiers to leave the protection of a trench or a fox hole and face the muzzle of an automatic weapon, handled by a well trained and motivated enemy. I already warn you that just saying “please” would not be enough.

And why some leaders are able to do it, meaning to induce that kind of motivation in a subordinate, and others are not.

In one of the first chapters of JM’s book the pace is set on that matter. The guy that JM was about to relieve as leader (lieutenant) of the 2^nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 4^th Battalion, 503^rd Airborne Infantry, stationed in the above mentioned location in Vietnam, was at the end of his 6 month’s rotation, after deployment in a combat area – an officers privilege. The common soldier had to endure one year of fun and games on the front line, not that a “front line” would be an easy thing to find in Vietnam.

Well, that guy did not know the first thing about leadership, since in his mind the only mission important for his subordinates had was the preservation of their leader – himself.  That guy was a sorry, but unfortunately common, example of a combat leader in Vietnam, meaning the kind of guy that got his men killed for no purpose at all (for the sake of argument, I will assume that any death, in any war, is meant to have a purpose).

Right then JM, green as he was on arrival in Vietnam, began to have some doubts regarding the kind of leadership he would be able to provide to his men.

And then he set his mind on defining it.

Stick around, and you just might be lucky enough to know more about what happened next.

PC

Espimodel - Fotos 2

A Brigada Tripeira em plena acção na Espimodel.

O PC inicia as hostilidades disparando com um A/T 17pdr britânico

Novamente o PC calcula o azimute do Pak 43 alemão, que rico alvo...

Os fallshimjager (figuras WGS) procuram abrigo numa casa

Mais uma vez o PC conhecido pelo "Carniceiro" procura novos alvos, maldita fita métrica que não pára de medir alças de tiro...

Para aqueles que não nos conhecem, aqui ficam as fotos para a eternidade:

À esquerda - PC (aka "O Carniceiro" ou o "Napoleónico") .

À direita - JF (aka "El Gordito" ou o "El Hombre del pincel")

Fotos gentilmente cedidas por Filipe Couto (Espinho TV)

Agradecimentos ao NME

JF

Character Series nº 4 - Ernst Jünger

(Part III)

I have a bad feeling that JF is out there wishing to kick my ass real bad, since I placed this post without giving his outstanding post the proper amount of exposure.

I am sorry JF.

You know Friday is the day for the Character Series post and you also know that I NEVER miss a deadline.

(The Bad Life)

Les Eparges, May, 1915: EJ considered this to be his first real battle. He had been shelled at before by artillery, but this one was, at least in his mind, the one that counted, due to its intensity.

And this was what you could call, a “business-as-usual” battle, in World War I terms. EJ noticed the lines of blood-soaked wounded soldiers, streaming for the rear; sensed the disorganization and lack of purpose of the movements of his unit, up to a point, at least; the “savage pouncing dance” of the enemy artillery, as he calls it; the feeling of helplessness of being the targeted without the ability to respond, while being chased by lightnings and crushing air pressure.

And then it happened. EJ received his first wound in combat (in his left thigh). Right then he threw his haversack and, losing his head (these are his words) he barged through other wounded soldiers out of the trench he was in and started to run more or less aimlessly, until the loss of blood caused him to collapse. Later, he had the good luck of being discovered by stretcher-bearers and taken to the rear.

There was one thing that surprised him: he did not see a single live opponent in his first battle. Not a good start, some may say.

After two weeks in the Hospital, EJ was back on his feet and on his way to upgrade his rank to ensign and proceeded back to the front, with a new job in hand.

This was the first time EJ’s meat met the bullet. It would not be the last, as you will soon notice. Mind you, I will only be mentioning his most relevant encounters with the bullet and the steel shrapnel.

His next hit came during the Battle of the Somme, while his unit was stationed in the Village of Combles, on a more or less restful mood, in the month of August, 1916. A few artillery rounds landed nearby, reminding all of them that there was such thing as “rest” near the front line, and EJ was one of the lucky few who got a piece of shrapnel, this time in his left calf.

A “ticket home”, was the immediate diagnosis of his medical expert friends (as any good veteran prouds himself to be). And back he went to the Hospital. But this guy did not seem to know the meaning of the word “home”.

Therefore, thirty days later, EJ returned to his regiment, now stationed at Deuxnouds for some R & R, and soon to return to the Somme.

He also returned to a new job, this time as a scouting officer, leader of a scout troop.

His new job did not prove very fortunate for his health, though. In November that same year EJ was again hit, this time in both his legs, by a snipers bullet.

He was given a fresh ticket back to the Hospital, where, by the way, he did not stay very long, once again. Two weeks later this guy was back in the front, but since he could not march properly, he was once again given a new job, this time as an observation officer for the artillery.

In December that year someone thought all those wounds deserved some kind of reward, and gave him the Iron Cross First Class.

Most guys would be wary of putting their skin back on the line, after such regular and unfortunate contacts with red-hot steel. However, EJ was not one of those guys.

That’s the reason why, by August 1917 near the town of Gits, EJ was receiving another reminder: a wound in his shoulder, while doing his job as a Lieutenant commanding a Company. This time he did not even bother to check into the Hospital.

In early December 1917 EJ found himself leading his Company in a daring assault at enemy trenches, in the Siegfried Line, near Baralle, during the battle of Cambrai. Eventually, two holes in his steel helmet signalled a brushed skull. But there was more to come, in the form of splinters from an exploding bullet in the forehead.

Did EJ bother to sign into the Hospital? No way. This was his fifth double-wounding, which he healed during his Christmas leave.

The Knight’s Cross of the House of Hohenzollern was sent to him at home, during his leave, a more than deserved reward for his combat actions, since the wounds this guy received did not came from standing idly by, watching events unfold before his eyes.

Enough of this. I think you get my point by now.

By the end of the war his tally stood at fourteen hits, of which five were bullets, two shell splinters, one shrapnel ball, four hand grenade splinters and two bullet splinters – not counting trifles (as he calls them...) such as ricochets and grazes.

In September 1918 EJ was receiving the “Blue Max”, Prussia’s highest military decoration (the Order Pour le Merite), at the age of 23 – the youngest soldier ever to receive this award.

What is interesting about this Character? Among other things, his ability to overcome the morbid fear of death that often assaults the multiple wounded soldier and the ability to do his job even after seeing many of his friends maimed and killed – a true trademark of the German soldier.

Do not take this guy to be some kind of super-hero – at least I did not. EJ speaks frankly about the teeth chattering feelings he recurrently had and of the heightened awareness of the hunter mixed with the terror of the quarry he felt, and so forth.

Fear and doubt were there, but he somehow managed to overcome them to do his job, which apparently he managed to do well for about 4 years with respect and without hate for his opponents – not a very common occurrence in war, and a savage one at that.

By the way: this guy was 102 years old when he died…

This is the end of another interesting story in this wonderful weekly Series!

And who will be the one to guess the name of my next Character? Let ME guess: nobody!

However this time I am cutting your excuses short, since I will be giving such information about the next Character as never before has been seen on this Series.

The initials of his name are “J”, “R” and “M”; his business was the Vietnam War (circa  1971) and he was from the good old USA.

Now what?

PC

A minha colecção de SdKfz 250's

Os meus "pequeninos" SdKfz 250.

São os meus H/T's preferidos. Efectuei várias decorações para variar um pouco o aspecto monocromático das minhas unidades utilizadas na mesa de jogo.

Espero que gostem!

SdKfz 250/1 - Veículo da WGS

 

 SdKfz 250/1 - Veículo da WGS

SdKfz 250/7 - Veículo e figuras no interior da WGS (fallshimjager com morteiro de 80mm).

O fallshimjager com um panzerfaust escondido na retaguarda da viatura é uma figura da Pendraken.

SdKfz 250/10 -Veículo da WGS. A Pak 37 e os artilheiros são da Pendraken

SdKfz 250/1 - Viatura da WGS e figuras da Metal Troops.

Este artigo é dedicado especialmente aos membros do http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/1_144/, que têm colocado algumas questões relativamente às diferenças entre as figuras de vários fabricantes.

Assim se demonstra que é possível utilizar em conjunto vários modelos e referências dos vários fabricantes. Graças a eles que é possivel construir vários exércitos da WWII nos seus diferentes períodos e campanhas, quer seja "Early" ou "Late".

Nos próximos dias tenciono colocar fotos de várias "Coys"com figuras da WGS e da Pendraken, que são as minhas marcas favoritas.

JF



Bicentenário da Batalha do Bussaco (actualização)

Aqui fica mais uma informação em relação ao evento anteriormente anunciado, relacionada com o programa das Cerimónias Militares que irão ter lugar no Bussaco, no dia 27 de Setembro, com a presença de Sua Excelência Presidente da República, o Professor Doutor Anibal Cavaco Silva.

O programa alusivo à Recriação Histórica prevista para os dias 25 e 26 de Setembro também sofreu algumas alterações, em relação a locais e horários.

Aqui fica a necessária rectificação.

Depois não digam que foi por minha culpa que não conseguiram acompanhar o evento na sua plenitude.

Aliás, este será mesmo um evento a não perder devido a uma outra razão fundamental: o nosso amigo Peixoto vai estrear-se como recriador histórico! Está prevista a sua deslocação a um dos nossos arsenais para experimentar uma farda de Caçador do Batalhão de Caçadores nº 6. Claro que para a mesma altura está prevista uma sessão (muito...) intensiva de treino de ordem unida e manuseamento de equipamento - mas não lhe digam nada, para não estragar a surpresa...

PC

Bicentenário da Batalha do Bussaco

Nos próximos dias 25 e 26 do corrente mês de Setembro vai realizar-se na Mealhada mais uma importante comemoração alusiva às chamadas Invasões Francesas (3ª Invasão): o Bicentenário da Batalha do Bussaco.

Como todos sabem, esta batalha constituiu a verdadeira a prova de fogo do Exército Português. Até essa altura era incerto o valor das nossas tropas e o comandante do Exército Luso-Britânco (general Arthur Wellesley, mais tarde 1.º Duque de Wellington) tinha algumas dúvidas acerca do respectivo valor em combate perante o experiente e numeroso (cerca de 60.000 homens) Exército Francês sob o comando do general André Massena, que no ano de 1810 tinha, de novo, invadido o território nacional.

Convém recordar que na sequência da 1ª Invasão Francesa (protagonizada pelo general Jean-Andoche Junot, no Outono de 1807) o Exército Português tinha sido completamente desorganizado. As melhores tropas ingressaram na Legião Portuguesa e passaram combater sob as ordens do Exército Imperial Francês, fora da Peninsula Ibérica. As tropas remanescentes foram licenciadas. O melhor equipamento existente foi apreendido e o restante destruído.

Sob as ordens de Beresford (William Carr Beresford, nomeado Comandante-em-Chefe do Exército Português no ano de 1809) iniciou-se um acelerado processo de re-equipamento, recrutamento e de treino, com vista a criar uma estrutura operacional capaz de contribuir para a defesa do território e da soberania nacionais.

É de sublinhar que esta operação envolveu um custo considerável, como penso deve ser fácil de deduzir, o qual foi na quase totalidade suportado pela Coroa Inglesa. É um facto que por esta via Inglaterra estava também a defender os seus interesses estratégicos. Mas também é um facto inelutável o de que, caso na altura a Inglaterra  não estivesse disposta a contribuir para essa causa - que era a nossa - mais ninguém estava disposto a fazê-lo e a Nação Portuguesa estaria condenada a suportar um jugo muito pesado, sem poder reagir.

Esta dívida não está, nem nunca deve ser esquecida.

E foi assim que se chegou à Batalha do Bussaco, naquele memorável dia de 27 de Setembro de 1810. Nesse dia os soldados Portugueses provaram o seu valor no campo de batalha e mostraram ao Comando Inglês que eram uma força a ter em conta e com que se podia contar na defesa do território nacional e não só. Aliás, as tropas Portuguesas estiveram presentes em todas as principais batalhas subsequentes, incluindo a realizada em Toulouse (10 de Abril de 1814), em França, apelidada a última batalha da Guerra Peninsular.

É também por estas razões que, mais uma vez, os recriadores históricos nacionais irão também marcar presença em mais esta comemoração. Será um evento mais modesto do que o realizado há pouco tempo em Almeida, por várias razões que aqui não importa relatar, mas de grande significado cultural e histórico, a que valerá a pena assistir.

PC

Espimodel-Fotos 1

Conforme anteriormente anunciado, a BT deslocou-se a Espinho para participar na Espimodel (http://sites.google.com/site/modelismoespinho/)

Uma tarde quente numa cidade simpática, prometia uma tarde agradável na companhia dos amigos e de alguns curiosos algo interessados em dois "morcões"a brincar com bonequinhos.

Os organizadores do evento, receberam a comitiva da BT de uma forma exemplar, aliás como de costume e colocaram à disposição todas as condições necessárias para um joguinho de ABS (Ambush Blitz Skirmish-House Rules), o que demonstra mais uma vez a versatilidade das regras originais do ABlitz, que permite adaptar o jogo a diferentes formatos. Obrigado J.

E então aqui estão umas imagens da nossa presença.

Como podem ver uma sala ampla, bem iluminada que permite apreciar a dimensão da mesa de jogo.

De outro ângulo.

Os "Bifes" atacam da direita e os "Krauts" da esquerda

 Os fallshimjager preparam o primeiro avanço do jogo, com o apoio de um SdKfz 250/7 (conversão com viatura e morteiro de 80mm da WGS)

Paraquedistas britânicos avançam com o apoio de um Staghound (FigurasWGS)

A artilharia alemã bem entricheirada, aguarda ordem de fogo. Durante todo o jogo, esta equipa de artilheiros esteve bastante atarefada. Ao fundo um Hummel também efectuará alguns disparos certeiros (figuras WGS).

O resultado desta participação foi bastante positiva, já que os membros do Núcleo de modelismo de Espinho mostraram bastante interesse em obter mais informações relativamente aos jogos de simulação histórica, o que promete o nascimento de um núcleo de jogadores modelistas.

Como tal, deixo aqui um agradecimento sincero ao NME pela colaboração e pela simpatia com que receberam os "guerreiros" da BT.

Obrigado e um abraço.

JF

Character Series nº 4 - Ernst Jünger

(Part II)

Another milestone has been set!

It is only Thursday and here you have it: a new and wonderful post in this outstanding weekly Series. Peixoto: this time even you have to agree this deserves some kind of reward. By the way, we have an Ambush Blitz tournament coming up in October, in Lisbon, and some last minute painting may be needed...

Did I really say in my last post that this time I was going to tell you about the ups and downs of trench warfare?

Well, I am sorry to have misled you guys. Although I searched the book “Storm of Steel” over and over again, I could only find the “downs”. I think somebody excluded the “ups” from my edition.

(The Good Life)

As I mentioned in my last post, EJ and his group of merry friends arrived at the western front (in December 1914) full of illusions and hopes for everlasting glory.

However, a diet of hard work and endless shelling brought back reality real quick. It seems that the soil in Champagne is somewhat chalky – it was right there they had to dig their trenches. At dusk those guys had to stand to arms in the trench, ready for anything. Between 10 pm and 6 am only two men out of a whole platoon were allowed to sleep – giving each soldier two hours sleep. Two hours sleep was only theoretically, it seems, since they had to awake early to fetch straw or do any other chore that needed to be done (like going for food, coffee, water, or the newspaper…well, maybe not the newspaper).

Sentry duty at night was also a popular occupation for everybody, especially when it rained. When finally the trooper was allowed any rest, he had to crawl into a dugout – meaning a hole dug in the chalk, facing the trench, with constant dripping inside it.

And of course, the veterans did not miss any opportunity to remind the recruits what they were (recruits...), by the way of giving them every tedious, unpleasant or hard work available. But do not think It was everyday the same thing.  No way, since the lucky ones had the opportunity to deepen communication trenches at night, immersed in mud and water up to…wherever.

As you can see, there seemed to be fun and games for everybody to go around.

When removed from the front, EJ and his buddies had other distractions. Catching up on their sleep and thoroughly cleaning their kit. Drilling was also daily and plentiful.

Our hero becomes disillusioned by this state of affairs. Boredom sets in and he considered it more dangerous to a soldier than the proximity of death. He considered the system of defence used as deleterious – the true defence lied, in his opinion, in the condition and courage of the men behind the trenches, not on their scale or dimension.

These were big words, coming from a recruit. This guy had the bad luck, during one of his sentry duties, to fall asleep. Well, his duty officer found him in that condition and snatched his weapon from him. Afterwards, he made EJ walk to the French posts holding only a pickaxe – an adventure that almost proved fatal for him.

It is always the same thing with most guys that volunteer for the army in time of war. They think it will be all about parading their new uniform, fending off the inevitable numerous chasing girls and killing enemies by the dozens.

When the bullets start meeting the meat (I love this expression…) most recruits wonder to themselves: “nobody actually told us we could get maimed or killed out here!” or “are those guys really allowed to fire at us?” or something in the neighbourhood of that. I say “to themselves” because nobody actually cared about what recruits had to say, anyway.

Mind you, EJ was not the whining type, as you will notice later on, but he sure suffered the usual “shock and awe” thing in his first real battle.

Well, this was the “good life” EJ occasionally had, while serving in the front line.

In my next post, I will tell you something more about the “bad life” he had.

PC

Bicentenário do Cerco de Almeida e do Combate do Côa

(Tropas de infantaria ligeira -95.º Rifles- em acção, na defesa das muralhas de Almeida)

Conforme previsto, nos passados dias 27, 29 e 29 de Agosto as pacatas gentes da formosa Vila de Almeida viram a sua rotina diária agitada pela chegada de centenas de soldados vindos de toda a Europa, a fim de participarem nas comemorações do Bicentenário do Cerco de Almeida e do Combate do Côa.

Todavia, esta tropa era toda composta por homens e mulheres amistosos, tendo muitos deles feito milhares de quilometros a fim de poderem estar no nosso país e participarem neste memorável evento. Como sempre, as noites em Almeida, além de quentes, revelaram-se longas e muito animadas, com o rufar dos tambores a ouvir-se pelas ruas estreitas, até bem tarde na noite.

Três cavaleiros do Regimento de Brunswick (Hussardos da Caveira / Death's Head Hussars), que integraram o exército luso-britânico, inspeccionam atentamente o movimento das tropas adversárias, de molde a poderem relatar os mesmos com fidelidade ao General-em-Chefe do exército.

A artilharia portuguesa (Regimento de Artilharia nº 4), como sempre, teve a seu cargo a fatia de leão na defesa da Praça de Almeida. As tropas adversárias cedo aprenderam a temer o seu tiro certeiro e a respeitar o seu sangue-frio, em combate.

Logo de madrugada, as tropas do Exército Luso-Britânico marcharam para as suas posições junto da Praça de Almeida, bem equipados e motivados para a respectiva defesa.

E foi assim que ficou marcado este importante episódio da História nacional, onde muitos milhares de cidadãos, vindos de todo o nosso Portugal e não só, tiveram a oportunidade de visualizar um evento magnífico.

Foram particularmente emotivas as cerimónias feitas em memória dos caídos em combate (no rio Côa e em Almeida), provenientes de todas as nações presentes. Estas cerimónias, em especial, são importantes não só para relembrar aqueles que, fosse qual fosse a respectiva motivação, fizeram o sacríficio último em prol de um ideal, como também e principalmente para sinalizar a concórdia e amizade que hoje reina entre Nações que em tempos foram adversárias - para que nunca mais o voltem a ser.

Como já muitos o disseram, no estudo da História encontra-se a profecia do futuro e a História e o Património de um Povo querem-se vivos e operantes - sendo este um sinal inelutável de vitalidade no presente do tecido social de uma Nação, como certamente todos desejamos que a nossa o seja.

Aqui ficam alguns links para imagens e videos do evento:

http://videos.sapo.pt/udUi4MOT2PGVDmaQHV5A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6VzWr5YaK8&feature=related

http://picasaweb.google.com/arhca.asturias2010/Almeida20102#

PC

Character Series nº 4 - Ernst Jünger

(Part I)

How hard can it be?

I mean, was this the easiest name to guess in all this Series until now, or what?

But you did not guess it, and this only reflects the fact that all you guys simply are not into this History research thing. Surely you did not expect me to tell you the nation or geographical origin of this guy or the conflict he participated in, or any temporal reference. If I mentioned that, even my 3 year old kid would know the answer!

Next time I will let MM’s cat enter the competition. My guess is that he will win…

I came across the story of this guy the (for me) usual way: while browsing the recommended History books in the Amazon web site. The book Storm of Steel (the original title in German is In Stahlgewittern) was written by the man himself and, as many said before me, it is one of the most truthful and honest stories around, regarding the experience of a man in war, and a brutal one at that.

Another thing I liked about this book is that the author does not indulge himself in political and philosophical considerations. He tells it how he experienced it: the story of a civilian turned into a professional soldier by the experience of battle.

As usual, from now on I will refer to this guy by his initials - EJ

How do they grow guys like EJ in Germany, anyway? My guess is that, after the Portuguese, it is among the Germans that it is easier to find the toughest guys, with the strength, attitude and skills necessary for war. And let’s not forget the guys from the Southern USA – as the saying goes, there is not a guy from the South who does not know how to fight!

EJ was born in Heidelberg (German Empire) in March 29, 1895, in a middle class family without relevant traditions in the military institution.

“Restless” could be a good adjective for this guy, since at the age of 18 he escaped from home in order to join the French Foreign Legion, in Algeria (Africa). However, that adventure did not last long.

On 1 August 1914 he was back in Germany, doing something natural to him – volunteering for the army on the first day of World War I, at the age of 19. He sets his foot in France (Bazancourt, in Champagne) on 27 December of the same year, with barely 2 months of training behind him.

At that time, the “slow grinding pulse of the front”, as EJ calls it, became obvious to all the recruits just extracted from civilian life and eager for the adventure of war, with dreams of heroic experiences in battle – another characteristic common to every group of young men that throughout the ages are thrown in the midst of an armed conflict.

And then reality came crashing in – as always in such situations. The first casualties of war together will the strategically placed pools of gore (in this case caused by the, soon to be familiar, enemy artillery), had a sobering effect on EJ and his friends.

In my mind, the thoughts “how the hell did I get myself in this situation” were surely the most prevailing among those guys, at the time. Well, too late for regret now, alea jacta est!

And from then on EJ goes on describing his and his friends experiences in that dreadful conflict, where the enemy soldier was a rare sight to see but where death happened in the most unexpected and violent manner.

You have to wait until next Friday to know more about the ups and downs of trench warfare.

PC